June 14 will be a busy day for filmmaker Jeremy White.
First, he has a directors’ luncheon to attend, then he has to make his way back to Westwood to receive his master’s degree from the UCLA School of Film and Television. Then, assuming there’s time, he’ll make his way over to the Los Angeles Film Festival, where his movie “The First Hope” is premiering.
It’s not every day a student creates and directs a film that is both opening the UCLA Film Festival and featured at the prestigious Los Angeles Film Festival.
For White, “The First Hope” is the culmination of a lifetime of sincere love of film. The short embodies this love in the story it tells, focusing on Johnny, a young boy watching “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” and fixating on the infamous kiss between Luke and Leia which leads Johnny to look at his sister with new eyes.
According to White, the confusion that results from taking life cues from the movies we watch and forming our personalities around these shared experiences of cinema is what inspired “The First Hope.” For White, it’s all about connecting with the audience.
“Nothing compares to sitting in a theater for a movie you’ve made, not watching the movie but watching everybody else to see them react,” White said. “That’s a really special feeling, and it’s one of those intense drugs that you strive for but you can only get once in a while.”
Now, at 25, White is graduating with his masters, having directed several films that have received awards or been featured in festivals, including one that was spotlighted by the Cannes Short Film Corner.
He’s already working on his next projects, which include “The Heyday of the Insensitive Bastards,” a feature-length film produced by James Franco, and a companion short that he’s working on over the summer. It’s a career that White has been heading toward since childhood.
“I knew where I was going. I knew I wanted to go to film school. I’m a pretty stubborn dude; talking me out of it wasn’t an option,” White said. “It’s the high of getting to entertain people.”
Screenwriter Austin Reynolds, White’s close friend and collaborator who shares his love for nostalgic film, noticed his friend’s drive and love for film early on. The two naturally gravitated toward each other and a partnership was born.
“He has these grand goals, and (White’s) never not met his goals,” Reynolds said. “He was like, ‘I’m going to UCLA for grad school,’ and he only applied to UCLA. He put all his eggs in one basket, and he nailed it. He wanted to do a movie; he did. He wanted to go to UCLA, and he’s here. He’s always able to finish what he starts.”
For White, nothing compares to storytelling, which he said is like solving puzzles and constantly trying new combinations until the work comes together and fits.
The communal feeling of sharing his work with an audience makes the long days of work worth it to him.
“The day that I wake up and I’m too exhausted to do this, that’s the day I should quit. Because it’s a privilege, to get to do this, to be at UCLA film school and make movies,” White said. “I take it very seriously.”
Cinematographer Phil Klucsarits, who was the director of photography for “The First Hope” and is a UCLA alumnus, said working with White as a director was a pleasure because he was always sure about what he wanted. White was always incredibly prepared for shooting, which allowed Klucsarits and the rest of the crew to do their best work.
“He’s going to make movies. I really don’t think there’s anything that could stop him. He’s so talented at crafting stories; not to be cliche but the sky really is the limit for him,” Klucsarits said. “He knows exactly what he wants out of his career, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s accomplished.”